The Yellow Duchess

Catherine Linton MinorAugust 4, 1770 – July 9, 1844

The wife of Major Stephen Dunken Minor, the last Spanish Governor at Natchez, was known as “The Yellow Duchess” . She is buried under the massive tomb to the left and her husband is buried next to her under the “table top” tombstone.

She was known as the “Yellow Duchess” because of her fondness for the color yellow. Everything she owned was yellow. Including her clothes, carriage and furniture. She even had a flower garden full of yellow roses. She insisted that her horses be Palimonies and her slaves mulatto.

Being of Spanish Royalty she had very great wealth and it is said she was buried with much of her gold. Therefore a massive structure was placed over her grave to prevent grave robbery.

But no, she did not die of Yellow Fever - a disease that took many lives in Natchez.

Also visible in the background is the bust of Lewis Winston who was a free man of color who became wealthy after the Civil War. The bust is by Isaac Hathaway, dated 1920.